Matthew 10:17

What a strange command for our Lord to give the Disciples as they launched out into public ministry. Had He not earlier told them to be fishers of men (Matt. 4:19)? And now, He warns them to "Beware of men." Jesus is not here nullifying the earlier command; He is actually further explaining the work to which He has called them – only, this time, He is dealing with the negative side of ministry, in advance, in order to ward off any discouragement that might come in the area of difficult, interpersonal relationships that might easily hinder us in The Work.

Matthew 10:16-31 cautions us to beware of the Fear of Outsiders who may not be overjoyed with our ministries. There may be arrests (17), beatings (17), governmental intimidations (18), and general hatred (22) of us and the works God is establishing through us. Our natural inclination in these circumstances would be FEAR! Three times in this passage Christ admonishes His Disciples to "fear not" (26, 28, & 31). The supernatural response is this – "Beware of Men," do not "Fear Men" – trust the Lord, but be alert and cautious as you serve Him. God knows all the secret plans of His and your enemies (26-27). He will protect you until it is your time to cross over to eternity (28). He is very concerned about you – you are very valuable to Him (31)!

Verses 35-37 make it clear to "Beware of Men" in our dealings in another area of life – the Love of Family. Our parents, children and even our in-laws are mentioned in this passage. Well-meaning, loving, and helpful as they are to us, we must be on guard that our love for them does not supercede our love for and dedication to Christ! Twice in these verses Christ warns that we are not worthy of Him if family takes precedence over Him. We must "Beware of Men" in the arena of family relationships.

The rest of this chapter warns us to "Beware of Men" in one last category – Love of Yourself! That’s right, Jesus warns us that we can be our own enemy – we must beware of our own flesh! Our Lord warns that we are in a cross-bearing (38), submissive (38), self-denying (39) business. And, if you do not beware of yourself, you may find you are walking in a fashion "not worthy of Him" (38).

While we serve Christ in the ministry, we will face Forces, Fear, and Foes – but He has warned us in advance to "Beware of Men" and has exhorted us to do the work in spite of them.